Canseco Homers in Independent League Debut

He's 46 and a pariah in Major League Baseball circles, but Jose Canseco was back in uniform and hitting a home run last night.

Canseco, who blew the lid off of steroid use in baseball with a pair of books that named names, is the newest member of the Laredo Broncos of United League Baseball. In his first at-bat, he blasted a two-run homer to left center field, much like the 462 round-trippers he hit during a 17-year career. The home run helped the Broncos beat Rio Grande Valley 16-8.

"My first step was getting back into the game, in whatever way, shape and form," Canseco said. "I don't know how I'll perform physically, since I'm 46 and haven't played at this level in a long time. We'll see what happens."

Canseco, who later grounded into a double play, said he will serve as designated hitter, bench coach and even pitcher for the Broncos. But he'll only play in home games, of which Laredo has just six left this season.

Byron Pierce, the UBL president, said luring Canseco was "one of the highlights of our league."

"This isn't something that happens every day," he said. "It's a long way from Major League Baseball to the United League, but we're happier than heck to have him here."

Canseco, who tweeted last week about getting evicted from his apartment, has had a tumultuous life since retiring in 2002. He has participated in celebrity boxing matches, written the two books he says got him blackballed by MLB and now says he is working on a reality TV show.